A Tag Battle (Japanese: マルチバトルMulti Battle) is a type of Double Battle where two Pokémon Trainers team up against one or two others. Unlike regular Double Battles, there are no specific Trainer classes encountered for Tag Battles. Instead, two different Trainers must both see the player at the same time. For battles in the games' storylines, the player's opponents will usually only have three Pokémon each. However, Tag Battles occurring by being spotted by a pair of unrelated Trainers will occasionally lead to battles against more than six Pokémon. The player and their partner are only subject to such limitations in Battle Towers, allowing both to potentially send out six Pokémon.

Contents

In the games

Multi Battle mode

In Generation III, up to four players can battle with each other in a Tag Battle via link cable by choosing the 'Multi Battle' mode in the Pokémon Cable Club Colosseum. Players decide which side to battle. This was the only way to have a Tag Battle in Ruby and Sapphire.

In Generation IV, the Pokémon Cable Club Colosseum was renamed to the Pokémon Communication Club Colosseum, but Tag Battles can still be conducted by selecting 'Multi Battle'.

Quotes

Pokémon Center Receptionist

"Multi Battle is for four Trainers with one or more Pokémon each."

"Each Trainer can have one Pokémon in battle at a time."

In-game events

Since Ruby and Sapphire, Tag Battles have been possible at various points throughout the games. Other such battles happen at specific points in the game.

In Emerald, Steven Stone battles twomembers of Team Magma alongside the player in the Mossdeep Space Center. This is the only battle when a partner Trainer receives experience points from defeating a Pokémon. It's also the only Tag Battle where the player can use items on or knock out the partner Trainer's Pokémon and get experience points.

Tag Battles are also conducted in Hoenn's Battle Tower. Players have the option of teaming up with either a NPC or a friend via link cable. All Battle Towers in subsequent games feature the opportunity to enter Tag Battles.

At various points throughout Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, five Trainers partner up with the player for a short time. As long as they are with the player, all wild battles will be conducted as double battles. Trainers in these areas are also set up to favor two-on-two Tag Battles. The same Trainers can later be selected to act as the player's partner in Sinnoh's Battle Tower.

Professor Rowan's assistant and the player's rival will also team up with the player at certain times, often during confrontations with Team Galactic.

In the anime

Tag Battles have been featured in the anime since the second episode. The first Tag Battlers were Jessie and James of Team Rocket. At this time, Misty stated that Tag Battles were against the official league rules. Team Rocket still challenges the main protagonists in Tag Battles regularly.

Bagged Then Tagged! also featured a Tag Battle, with Ash and Dawn battling Lyra and Khoury. Ash and Dawn seemed to work well this time, defeating their opponents.

Hearthome City has its own special competition known as the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition. Trainer pairs are chosen by random. Each Trainer receives a card with a number on it and must partner with the Trainer whose number is paired with their number. Ash won this tournament paired with Paul, despite the two working very poorly together.

In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

Tag Battles were uncommon prior to Generation III and IV due to the fact that they hadn't been formally introduced yet, although multiple Trainers battling a single opponent (such as Sabrina vs. Red, Blue, and Green or Bill and Lt. Surge vs. Bruno) were common. The first true Tag Battle occurs when Gold and Crystal fought against Sham and Carl's two Pokémon together.

Much later, as with the then recently-released Emerald version which fully introduced this feature, the two protagonists of the Ruby & Sapphire chapter, named appropriately after the two games, would fight together against Archie and Maxie in both the Seafloor Cavern and after Groudon and Kyogre's return to their slumber. Silver and Yellow also fought against two opponents, but as Yellow didn't begin to attack until after the former was losing, it is dubious as to whether it can be called a true Tag Battle.

Several Tag Battles also occur during the Diamond & Pearl chapter, including those of two pairs fighting many opponents.

Trivia

When battling alongside Steven in Emerald, his Pokémon are shown to gain experience after the defeat of an opponent Pokémon. This does not happen to a partner's Pokémon in the Tag Battles of Generation IV.

The Tag Battle against Mars and Jupiter in the Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum games has the potential to be a twelve-on-six fight, due to Barry's full party. All other Tag Battles in the game have numbers that are more even.

There are no battles in which the player character and a partner Trainer battle against a single opponent.